Additionally, there is the suggestion of portamento within a slur taking place at the beginning of the phrase when it occurs during the upbeat. A good example is the following theme from the Cello Sonata n.1, Op.38 in E minor, where Julius Klengel indicates to start with finger 3 on the upbeat (F sharp expressivo) and to make the shift with this same finger to A, resulting in an ascending 3rd. In addition, we find a similar kind of shifting with the same finger in next beat, where 2-2 is written in the chromatism between G sharp and G natural. Similar examples in slurring can be found in bars 3 and 5.
EDITED SCORES Edited versions of scores made by contemporaries of Brahms, many of whom who were working closely with him and playing his music, are of great value. They contain fascinating information about the performing practices of the time. In the following examples we will zoom in the fingerings, a really important marking in string music. By comparing these markings we can surmise a lot of different techniques in order to add expression, diversity of colors and variety to our performances.
Sonata for Violoncello and Piano in E minor op. 38
The first cello sonata by Brahms was composed between 1862 and 1865. The first three movements were composed in 1862 and the last movement three years later. By the end of Brahms’s life this sonata was widely performed, becoming part of many renowned cellists’ repertoires. Of course, we can’t forget Robert Hausmann’s support and promotion of this first cello sonata.
Sonata no.1 op.38 had been edited by Cornelius van Vliet and Edwin Hughes, Carl Friedberg and Hugo Becker, and Julius Klengel.
Nevertheless, there are sometimes no fingerings but rather string indications written in the score. These markings correspond to each string of the cello (I =A, II=D, III=G and IV=C). In order to stay in the same string during a certain passage, we find these indications, which intended to provide unity of expression and evenness of tone colour. As Wadsworth says, “changing strings within a melody was considered to be a much more drastic artistic decision, because each string represented a distinct voice.” (Wadsworth, 2015: 32). In the first example, we find that Klengel added: IVa, specifying that the whole fragment be played on the C string. Similarly, the string indication also occurs in the second example where Schnirlin writes II, and this results in more shifting of the hand in order to stay on the D string for the whole phrase.
Edited cello parts of Brahms’s chamber music by Klengel, Becker and Schnirlin show that portamento is suggested by different notations. I have selected different fragments from the followings works as examples, in order to provide today's string players with several tools which can be used for any given musical context.
The most prominent fact is that portamento usually takes place within slurs, resulting in audible shifting. They are usually at the end of phrases, half-phrases or followed by a diminuendo.In the two following examples from the Piano quartet n.1, Op.25 in g moll edited we can find several portamenti used within slurs. We can interpret this thanks to the written fingerings from Ossip Schnirlin. In this first fragment of the opening of the first movement, the cello phrase in bar 5 is indicated to start with the first finger (on II, or string D), which suggests a descending 4thshift between F and C sharp happening on I (string A). This is followed by another shift in bar 6, which is suggested by the idication of finger 2 and denotes a possible portamento between G and B flat (an ascending 3rd). In bar 8 we can also read the written finger 1 as a portamento suggestion between G and D (descending by a 4th) and finally the phrase concludes in bar 9 with a shift descending by a 3rd(between C and A), which is suggested by the presence of finger 3 being indicated.
Similar examples are found in the following fragment. In the second bar the 4thfinger is indicated on F, which suggests a descending 3rdbetween A and F in a slur. This is followed in bar 3 by another slur which includes a possible portamento, suggested by the written finger 1, between B and C sharp (ascending by a 2nd).
As mentioned before, hairpins or messa di voce also suggest the use of portamento. This fragment from the Piano trio n.2 in C dur is a good example. The notation show that a shifting between G and B flat has to be realized with finger 1 through the same string (II or string D). Then, in the following bar, the indication of finger 1 on the last beat suggests an additional portamento between A flat and D. As we can see, Ossip Schnirlin also adds hairpins, so this shows clearly the correlation between this marking and the use of portamento.
These tables show that in Klengel’s edition portamento usually takes place within slur in intervals such as 2ndMajor/minor falling, 3rdminor upward and 4thupward. For Becker, the most suitable intervals where to use portamento would be in 2ndminor falling, 3rdminor falling, 4thupward and 5thfalling. Of course, we can’t use this like a rule, because every performer obviously used it in his own way. However, analyzing intervals can be a good tool in order to start using portamento in any given musical context.
Sonata for Violoncello and Piano in F major op. 99
This second sonata for cello and piano was finished in 1886. Robert Hausmann at the cello (for whom the work was written) together with Johannes Brahms at the piano premiered the work in Vienna, and like the first sonata, while it took some years until it became part of the cello repertoire, both works were received positively by audiences.
Sonata no.2 op.99 has different editions, such as those by Carl Friedberg and Hugo Becker and Julius Klengel.
Another marking that I found which could suggest a portamento is the notation 0, which means open strings or harmonics. In the first example, we find this symbol in the last bar within a slur, extending from a G harmonic (III or string G) to an open G string. In the second example the shift takes place in the first bar from B to D (related again to the use of hairpins).
Furthermore, where to use portamento is not only revealed by score indications but also by intervals that can provide many clues about when to use it. This was based on knowledge I acquired after analyzing several fragments of both edited versions of Brahms’s Sonatas for cello and piano by Klengel and Becker. From these versions I determined that these are the most common intervals in which portamento takes place. In the table below I ordered them from highest to lowest in terms of their frequency of use in these two versions:
